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Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: the Advent of the Nativity
Adam, Patriarch and Eve, Matriarch
Scriptural Readings:
December 19th, 2010
Rorate coeli (Advent 4)
Read today's Higher Things Daily Reflection
December 19, 2010 - The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Today's Reading: John 1:19-28
Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 40:1-17; Revelation 7:1-17
John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. "It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." (John 1:26-27)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As Christmas approaches, the world reaches a near fever-pitch of commercialism: stores trying to get every last customer in for the last big sale, lights and trees and decorations and Santa and reindeer and secular Christmas songs. It's really overdone and gets old quickly. But in all of that, there's very little Jesus. The world rushes toward Christmas without any idea of the Who behind Christmas. There comes One whom they do not know.
Many people cry out “Keep Christ in Christmas”, but even that can become an overused slogan. What does it even mean? The truth is, few people, even many Christians, rejoice that Christ was born for this reason: to grow up and die. John the Baptist isn't exercising some super-humility when he says that he is not even worthy to untie Jesus' sandal. He's pointing out that the Lamb of God is far above us by being so far below us. Jesus came to be not the greatest, but the least. Not the best but the worst. Not the holiest, but the most sinful. Even though He was all of those good things, He took on all of those bad things for your sake. For your salvation.
The preaching of John the Baptist is that the One who comes after him— -Jesus— is the Savior. Jesus is the One who is going to save the world by His death and resurrection. He is the One who will send the Holy Spirit, baptize sinners, absolve them and give them His Body and Blood to eat and drink. He is the Lamb of God who was before all and has saved us all.
Just because Jesus' name is still remembered as the “reason for the season” doesn't mean people know Him. The real “reason for the season” isn't so much “Jesus is born” as it is “Jesus is born to grow up and suffer and die and rise as our Savior.” In that, the preaching of John the Baptist is fulfilled and your salvation is accomplished. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Stir up your power, O Lord, we implore You, and come among us, that by Your grace whatever is hindered by our sins may yet be speedily accomplished through Your mercy and satisfaction; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Advent 4)
Questions or comments regarding the Reflections may be sent to the Rev. Mark Buetow, Reflectons Editor, reflections@higherthings.org.
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Collect
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Introit
Antiphon:
Rain down, you heavens,
from above,*
and let the skies pour down the
Righteous One;
Let the earth o-
pen her womb,*
and bring forth Sal-
vation. (Isaiah 45:8)
Psalm:
The heavens declare the glo-
ry of God;*
and the firmament shows His
handiwork.
Their voice is gone out into
all the earth,*
and their words to the end
of the world.
In the heavens He has set a tabernacle
for the sun,*
which is like a Bridegroom coming out of His
chamber.
His going forth is from the end of the
heaven,*
and his circuit unto the
end of it. (Psalm 19:1, 4-6)
Old Testament: Deut. 18:15-19
A New Prophet like Moses
15(A) "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb(B) on the day of the assembly, when you said,(C) 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' 17And the LORD said to me,(D) 'They are right in what they have spoken. 18(E) I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers.(F) And I will put my words in his mouth, and(G) he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19(H) And whoever will(I) not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
Cross references:Deuteronomy 18:15 : John 1:21, 25, 45; Cited Acts 3:22; 7:37 Deuteronomy 18:16 : Deuteronomy 9:10 Deuteronomy 18:16 : Exodus 20:19 Deuteronomy 18:17 : Deuteronomy 5:28 Deuteronomy 18:18 : Deuteronomy 18:15 Deuteronomy 18:18 : Jer 1:9; 5:14; John 17:8 Deuteronomy 18:18 : John 4:25; 8:28; 12:49, 50 Deuteronomy 18:19 : Acts 3:23 Deuteronomy 18:19 : Jer 29:19; 35:13
Gradual:
The LORD is near to all who call up-
on Him,*
to all who call upon
Him in truth.
My mouth shall speak the praise
of the LORD,*
and all flesh shall bless His
holy name. (Psalm 145:18, 21)
Epistle: Phil. 4:4-7
4(A) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.(B) The Lord is at hand; 6(C) do not be anxious about anything,(D) but in everything by prayer and supplication(E) with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And(F) the peace of God,(G) which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Cross references:Philippians 4:4 : Philippians 3:1 Philippians 4:5 : James 5:8 Philippians 4:6 : Matt 6:25 Philippians 4:6 : Prov 16:3 Philippians 4:6 : Rom 1:8 Philippians 4:7 : Philippians 4:9; Isa 26:3; Col 3:15; John 14:27 Philippians 4:7 : Eph 3:19
Verse
Alle-
luia.*
Alle-
luia.
You are my help and my de-
liverer;*
do not delay, O my God. Alle-
luia. (Ps.40:17)
Gospel: John 1:19-28
The Testimony of John the Baptist
19And this is the(A) testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him,(B) "Who are you?" 20(C) He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21And they asked him, "What then?(D) Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you(E) the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23He said, "I am(F) the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight[a] the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
24(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25They asked him,(G) "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26John answered them,(H) "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27even(I) he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." 28These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Footnotes:John 1:23 Or crying out, &lquot;In the wilderness make straight
Cross references:John 1:19 : John 3:26 John 1:19 : John 8:25 John 1:20 : John 1:8; John 3:28; Acts 13:25; Luke 3:15 John 1:21 : Matt 11:14; 16:14 John 1:21 : Deut 18:15, 18 John 1:23 : Isa 40:3; Matt 3:3 John 1:25 : Matt 3:6; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3, 7 John 1:26 : Matt 3:11; Mark 1:7, 8; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5; 13:25 John 1:27 : John 1:15, 30
Offertory
Hail Mary, full of grace: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. (Luke 1)
Daily Lectionary
First Reading: Is. 40:1-17
Comfort for God’s People
1(A) Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2(B) Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to herthat(C) her warfare[a] is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
3(D) A voice cries:[b](E) "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
(F) make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4(G) Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain. 5(H) And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
(I) for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
The Word of God Stands Forever
6A voice says, "Cry!"
And I said,[c] "What shall I cry?"(J) All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty[d] is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass. 8(K) The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
The Greatness of God
9Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion,(L) herald of good news;[e]lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;[f]
lift it up, fear not;say to the cities of Judah,
"Behold your God!" 10(M) Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;(N) behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him. 11(O) He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
(P) he will gather the lambs in his arms;(Q) he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
12(R) Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance? 13(S) Who has measured[g] the Spirit of the LORD,
or what man shows him his counsel? 14Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?(T) Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding? 15Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted(U) as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up(V) the coastlands like fine dust. 16Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are(W) its beasts enough for a burnt offering. 17(X) All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
Footnotes:Isaiah 40:2 Or time of service Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one crying Isaiah 40:6 Revocalization based on Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Vulgate; Masoretic Text And someone says Isaiah 40:6 Or all its constancy Isaiah 40:9 Or O herald of good news to Zion Isaiah 40:9 Or O herald of good news to Jerusalem Isaiah 40:13 Or has directed
Cross references:Isaiah 40:1 : Isaiah 51:12; Luke 2:25 Isaiah 40:2 : Hos 2:14 Isaiah 40:2 : 2 Chr 36:22; Jer 25:12 Isaiah 40:3 : Cited Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3 : Mal 3:1; Isaiah 57:14 Isaiah 40:3 : Psalm 68:4 Isaiah 40:4 : Cited Luke 3:5; Isaiah 49:11 Isaiah 40:5 : Luke 3:6 Isaiah 40:5 : Isaiah 1:20 Isaiah 40:6 : Cited 1 Pet 1:24, 25; Job 14:2; Psalm 102:11; 103:15; James 1:10 Isaiah 40:8 : Cited James 1:11 Isaiah 40:9 : Isaiah 52:7 Isaiah 40:10 : Isaiah 59:16, 17; Luke 11:22 Isaiah 40:10 : Isaiah 62:11; Rev 22:12 Isaiah 40:11 : Ezek 34:23; Zech 11:7; John 10:11; 21:15; Acts 20:28 Isaiah 40:11 : Matt 18:12; Luke 15:5 Isaiah 40:11 : Num 11:12 Isaiah 40:12 : Prov 30:4 Isaiah 40:13 : Cited Rom 11:34; 1 Cor 2:16 Isaiah 40:14 : Job 21:22 Isaiah 40:15 : Isaiah 29:5 Isaiah 40:15 : Isaiah 41:1 Isaiah 40:16 : Psalm 50:10 Isaiah 40:17 : Psalm 62:9; Dan 4:35; Isaiah 41:12
Second Reading: Rev. 7:1-17
The 144,000 of Israel Sealed
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back(A) the four winds of the earth,(B) that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2Then I saw another angel ascending(C) from the rising of the sun, with(D) the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3saying,(E) "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants[a] of our God(F) on their foreheads." 4And(G) I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
512,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 612,000 from the tribe of Asher,12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 712,000 from the tribe of Simeon,12,000 from the tribe of Levi,12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 812,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
A Great Multitude from Every Nation
9After this I looked, and behold,(H) a great multitude that no one could number,(I) from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,(J) clothed in white robes, with(K) palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice,(L) "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and(M) the four living creatures, and they(N) fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12(O) saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these,(P) clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" 14I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of(Q) the great tribulation.(R) They have washed their robes and(S) made them white(T) in the blood of the Lamb.
15"Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and(U) serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne(V) will shelter them with his presence. 16(W) They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
(X) the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne(Y) will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of(Z) living water,and(AA) God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Footnotes:Revelation 7:3 Greek bondservants
Cross references:Revelation 7:1 : Jer 49:36; Dan 7:2 Revelation 7:1 : Revelation 7:3 Revelation 7:2 : Revelation 16:12 Revelation 7:2 : Revelation 9:4 Revelation 7:3 : Revelation 6:6; 9:4 Revelation 7:3 : Revelation 14:1; 22:4; Ezek 9:4; Revelation 13:16; Ezek 3:8, 9 Revelation 7:4 : Revelation 9:16 Revelation 7:9 : Rom 11:25 Revelation 7:9 : Revelation 5:9 Revelation 7:9 : Revelation 7:14; Revelation 3:4 Revelation 7:9 : Lev 23:40; John 12:13 Revelation 7:10 : Revelation 12:10; 19:1; Psalm 3:8 Revelation 7:11 : Revelation 4:6 Revelation 7:11 : Revelation 4:10 Revelation 7:12 : Revelation 5:14; 19:4; 1 Chr 29:10, 11 Revelation 7:13 : Revelation 7:9 Revelation 7:14 : Matt 24:21 Revelation 7:14 : Revelation 22:14; Isa 1:18; Zech 3:3-5 Revelation 7:14 : Dan 12:10; 1 John 1:7 Revelation 7:14 : Revelation 1:5 Revelation 7:15 : Revelation 22:3 Revelation 7:15 : Revelation 21:3; Isa 4:5, 6 Revelation 7:16 : Isa 49:10 Revelation 7:16 : Psalm 121:6 Revelation 7:17 : Psalm 23:1, 2; Matt 2:6; John 10:11 Revelation 7:17 : Revelation 22:1; Psalm 36:8, 9; John 4:14 Revelation 7:17 : Revelation 21:4; Isa 25:8
Sunday Father Reading
"By these words the sacrifice of Christians is properly set forth, concerning which our Priest Himself says, 'The Bread which I will give you is My Flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' For this is the sacrifice, not according to Aaron, but according to Melchizedek." [St. Isidore of Spain. Commentary on 1 Samuel 2:36. 7th Century]
All Scripture Readings: English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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